Marcing Band is Life, the Rest is Just Details
by majorette92995
Summary: A story about a girl who finds comfort in marching band, and her best friends.  But how comfortable is her limit due to fear of trusting?
1. Pilot

"Carry on, you won't miss me when I'm gone  
>Won't hear the phone ring<br>You won't hear me sing  
>Yeah I'm guilty, guilty of everything<br>I'll run away  
>Cause I've gotta find a place where you won't know me<br>I wanna go so far"

I hate my name. Who ever heard of the name 'Amara' anyways? What language was it from? And how in the world does it fit in as 'Amara Irene Baines'. My parents told me it means 'Forever beautiful, peace, and thin as bones.' Nice. They told me that it matches me physically and mentally. So I'm beautiful, peaceful, and anorexic? Nice mom and dad, nice.

So I guess the 'thin as bones' comes from three years of middle school color guard, one season of marching band, nine years of baton twirling, four years of field hockey, three years of Volleyball, and one year of Lacrosse at the Redwood junior high and Saratoga senior high school. Yeah, I have a busy life.

I live in Saratoga, California with my mother. I have no siblings. I have a beach house in Santa Clara Beach that I go to every other weekend. I go to my dads' house any time I have a break at school, or I don't have anything going on during a period in between a weekend and a week over summer vacation, or I'm not at the beach. It's tough to see my dad. He lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. He's planning on living closer, to maybe Monte Sereno, California.

I have a dog at my mom's house, she's a Pomeranian and American Eskimo mix. Her name is Bella, it means Beauty. She's only half a year old. At my dad's house I have a Jackaranian. He's a Jack Russell Terrier and Pomeranian mix. His name is Alpha since he feels like he owns us. He's a year and a half old. Yeah, my family likes Pomeranians. Well, I do. I picked them both out. But also at my dad's house I have a two and a half year old female American Bobtail. Her name is Sassy. When my parents were together, we had an American Shorthair until he died. His name was Floyd, I was five years old when I picked him out. He was seven when he died, which was six years ago. My family separated when I was eight. He came with me and my mom, she actually won custody over me until my dad became clean of alcohol when I was ten, and since then they have equal custody over me.

And here we are now.

I am American and German. I am tan enough to look Hawaiian or American-Indian, however. I have ice blue eyes and a dark henna red hair with natural brown highlights. My parents won't let me dye my hair or get any other piercing besides my lobes and my left cartilage. They won't let me get a tattoo at all, so at least they agree on a couple of things, right?

My best friend, the one who kept me sane when all of the drama in my family was happening. Karah Drury, she plays flute and is in marching band with me. I've known her for eleven years. We've been close ever since we met. She's a blonde literally and metaphorically and she has the pretties brown eyes I've ever seen in my life. They look just like chocolate diamonds.

She's trying to convince me to go to the Summer Vacation Pool Party with her next Friday. She told me we're going shopping, I love shopping. But she didn't tell me _what_ we were shopping for. We bought summer dresses and bathing suits for the party. So now I "have to go". Oh well, I'll look cute, I guess.

I bought a strapless white dress with a plain purple ribbon around the waist and it comes down to my femur bone, or my quadriceps area with a floral pattern around the bottom of the dress. My swim suit was a neon green bikini top and a neon green zebra pattern swim-skirt. I'm not sure how I'll be; I'm so insecure about my body…


	2. The Beginning of the End

"A guy and a girl can be just friends, but at one point or another, they will fall for each other.

Maybe temporarily, maybe at the wrong time, maybe too late, or maybe forever".

Dave Matthews Band.

It's the last full day on school and I'm in the gym practicing my 5-spin when I hear the doors open. The Phys. Ed. coach said wasn't supposed to be occupied between 3 to 3:30 today so I stopped at a 4-spin to see who it was because I'm a curious person, and I was afraid to drop it and get laughed at. It was Andrew Moschella.

"Um, what's up? Do you need the gym? I can leave-"I started, then realized I was venting.

"No, I actually came to see you."

"See me twirl? I'm not that good…"

"No, I mean I want to talk to you." He said. He talking to me is very different. "I wanted to ask if you wanted to go to the Summer Party with me next week."

"I'm going with my best friend, but I guess I'll see you there." It wasn't an excuse.

He winked and walked back out. I shivered and nearly barfed.

Actually, I have two best friends. Karah, the girl I've been talking to a lot lately, and Ashley Hart, she's in my grade; I just never noticed her before. She's going to the party next week, and also she's joining Color Guard and Winter Guard with me. Saratoga High is offering tryouts for Winter Guard next year, it's the first Winter Guard they ever had.

The girl who was a majorette with me this year, Erin Brown, is graduating and I don't know if there is going to be someone else with me next year.

Laying on my bed after a shower after school today doing horizontal tosses to keep me occupied, my phone vibrates unexpectedly and I didn't catch the baton. But it was worth it, for my best guy friend, David Stark, was texting me. He's in my grade and he plays Trumpet, he made marching band fun. He's my buddy, you can say I love him, because I do, but I would never go out with him, I don't love him like that. And he doesn't love me like that either.

"You so love him." Karah was telling me. She's on the phone with me while I'm texting him.

"Do not." I complained. "He said, 'Hey, you should join swimming with me next year.'"

Karah was curious when she heard the keys on my phone click, "What are you saying back?"

"I said, 'I'll try it next year, maybe. But you can't force me into it.'"

"If he says that he can make you, there's something wrong with him." She sighed.

I smiled widely, everyone says I'm so persistent and stubborn.

"Ha, he said 'Of course I can make you, you're in color guard.'"

"He's gonna get it tomorrow, isn't he?"

"Yeah, 'I hate you.'"

"You hate me?" She cried.

"No, not you. I was telling him that."

"Oh, good." She sighed in relief.

"I hate how people stereotype us. We're not a group of backstabbing bitches. We have hearts."

"Sure, sure." She said, not paying much attention. "Hey, you said 'we'." She just now registered what I was saying, defending her proud flute ego.

"So, you're coming to the beach with me next week, right?" I said, changing the subject.

"No. Wait what? Oh, yeah. I am going to the beach with you next week."

"And I thought I was easily confused." I'm planning on bringing Ashley next time, too.

"Oh hush. What did he say back?"

"He said, 'watch your back tomorrow. That hurt my feelings.'"

"Ha, but trust me on this one. You're in love with him."

_Beeeeeeeeeeeeep._

She hung up on me.

The next morning, I woke up after having the strangest dream and went to school and told Ashley, she'd love it.

"So I had this dream last night that our Field Show for next year was Eminem and Eminem actually came and rapped them himself!" I shrieked.

"You would, but that would be so cool!" Ashley admitted. We both love Eminem.

"At least I didn't have any drops in my dream…"

"Of course you didn't, it's Eminem. You wouldn't dare. That'd be embarrassing. But you won't anyway! You're so good." Karah jumped in the conversation.

"But I'll get so nervous and-" I was stopped by someone scaring me to death by picking me up from behind. Of course I started screaming. "Holy Shit!" I turned to see who could pick me up, of course I complain about being 5ft 2in and almost 120lbs. It's too much for me. I'm so small, it makes me feel wider than I look. Of course it is high because of muscle and not fats, so I shouldn't complain. "David! I swear, if you don't-"

"Chill, fam. I'm just getting you back for saying you hate me."

"I said that because you stereotyped color guard. Again."

"I'm kidding, you know I love you."

"Sure, sure…"

"I do, A, you're my best friend."

I smiled. He was begging me to forgive him. He hugged me. "Of course I don't hate you." I had to say.

"But, you still better watch out. All. Day."

"Stalker." I stated, pushing him away with my hips.

"A, you're so small I could step on you. Child."

"Pedophile." I edged away.

Now he was just frightening me. "_Childd!_"

"You, sir, are a creep." I said hiding behind Karah.

David pulled me out to where I was before and leaned his elbow on my head. "Ma'am…"

"Haha, band camp…"

"Yeah band camp. Ma'am."

We both laughed, and elbowed each other all the way to class when the bell rang. He had band, I had Choir. We had a Last Day of School Assembly-Pep Rally Thing. Before walking into our designated rooms in the band/choir wing we said goodbye. Our way. "Bye, son." He says.

"Bye, lurch." I say.

"Again with that look in your eyes when you see him!" Ashley and Karah said, creeping.

"I am not in love with him." I denied. Of course, I'm not in love with him. That's crazy, unheard-of, and impossible.


	3. A Freshmen no longer

I wanna run, but only far enough to make you miss me  
>I wanna take back all the shit that I have done<br>But I guess you were better off without me  
>I need to start to be myself<br>Cause I'm sick of everybody else  
>I won't let you bring me down<br>It's here and now, I'm breaking out  
>I will learn to love again<p>

-Boys Like Girls

At the Pep-Rally/Assembly thing, David stood at the end on the Trumpet section and I stood on the end for the Alto section. We ended up standing together.

I caught a guy staring at me from the Drum Line section. Nick Pachis, snare. It was a 'there she is, dude.' Kind of stare, not an 'I hate your guts.' Kind, because I swear he hates me. He made band camp Hell. David kicked me slightly. "A!"

What kind of expression did I show? I cleared my thoughts and turned to look at him. "Hmm?" I asked.

"You look like a rabbit in an open field. What's up?"

"Oh, nothing." I almost sighed in relief.

"Pachis keeps eying you. And you're nervous. Seriously, what's wrong?"

I didn't answer, because truthfully, I don't know what's wrong. But David wouldn't believe that. We sat in silence while our Principal talked and talked for half an hour about us not getting in trouble and being safe over the vacation, and coming back ready for the next school year. Then we left to go back to first period for twelve minutes, then we go to our other 4 periods for that amount of time, and then we leave for home. Or wherever we go.

At the end of the day, David put me against the wall.

"Something is bothering you," he stared me down, as if he was going to get an answer from inside my eyes.

"I'm fine, it's just knowing when I get a chance to leave today.." I eyed him angrily, "I'll be a sophomore, and that really got to me. Is that illegal?"

"But you started feeling nervous after Nick was looking at you."

"I didn't even notice him."

"A, that's a lie. I saw you."

Damn, I even looked down-left, the way people do without realizing it when they think. So when they normally look right, they might be lying.

Yeah, I want to be a Criminal Profiler when I grow up. It seems unrealistic, but it's not. I used to want to be an Interior Designer.

"Is it because he's a drummer? Because of De-"

"Please don't talk about him." I insisted quickly, "or say his name." I added uncomfortably.

"Well, is it because of him? Drummers are like brothers."

"I know that!"

"So it that why you're so scared?"

"I'm not scared."

"You were earlier."

"I was just…. Startled. Are you done interrogating me?"

"I am not interrogating you. I just worry about you. A lot."

"Why are you so worried? I'm fine, I can take care of myself."

"But if someone came along and hurt you…" His voice trailed off.

"This is a very safe town, nothing could happen to me." I took a step away from him. When I knew he was done and wasn't going to tackle me because 'I could get hurt' I walked away. I already missed my bus, so I started walking. Thanks, David. I live too far to walk, but just barely close enough to ride the bus, or days like this: walk. But not every day, that's torture.

It takes me thirteen minutes to walk home. I timed myself. I didn't have any heavy books, so I wasn't dying.

It's now the morning of the Pool Party. I hadn't talked to David since the last day of school, it's a new record. We always talk. Always. Nothing tore us apart before.

I'm a mess. I may cry. NO, I'll call him today. I'm the traditional kind of girl. If a guy doesn't talk to me first, we don't talk at all. But it's bothering me now.

Karah and I walked in our dresses with our sunscreen, food, towels, phones, iPods, and sunglasses to the Saratoga Country Club, where we had reserved today for the party.

Well, we didn't. But someone from our school did.

It was nice; I've been here once or twice before.

Out of nowhere, I was hugged from behind. They didn't hide; they put their head on my shoulder. I looked and almost screamed in joy. Of course you'd know it's David. I wouldn't be happy if it wasn't.

"DAVID! You said you weren't coming to this." My face lit up, even I could tell.

"I, David Aaron Stark, oath to you, Amara Irene Baines, to protect you whether you want me to or not."

"Damn," was all Ashley could say.

I just stood there.

"Come on, A. We've been friends since 7th grade. I need you."

"I know, but this is too much. Why are you all of a sudden so protective of me? And by the way, not calling me for a whole week? I died."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I needed time to think. I figure since you won't talk about it with me, I'm making myself your guardian with or without your consent."

"You're crazy," was all I could say.

"It's just the way your last boyfriend broke up with you, I have no idea if you're falling away from guys, especially me, or want someone new. Anyone. Like a guy you don't even know at all, besides the fact that he's interested in your looks."

"You should know by now that I'm not like that."

He gave me a hug, it was really tight, but I didn't care. I haven't seen him for so long.

Then we went arm-in-arm over to Ashley and Karah.

"Hey Protector and Protected, what's up?" Karah joked.

I stuck my tongue out at her and threw a towel at her.

"Thanks, I need this," she said energetically.

When I was all sun-screened and ready to walk over and jump in the pool, David intervened my plans by picking me up bridal-style and carried me over; then threw me in the pool. Well, at least I got in, right?

So after that, my morning was spent chasing and swimming after him. Once successful, I'd jump on his back and hug him.

Do you know how tiring chasing a toddler is? That's how I felt like.

"It's only like noon, how can you be tired?" David said, leaning his head on mine. I closed my eyes and felt like I could sleep for ages right there. David put me in his arms and took me to my towel to lay me there. He sat with me for a while, but then I guess I fell asleep and he left, because I opened my eyes and he disappeared. I was scared and looked around frantically until I saw him chatting with someone.

And then Hell came up.

"Hey there, babe," Andrew Moschella walked up casually and stared up and down my body.

"I'm not your 'babe'." I informed him as I shivered. I don't know why, but he just gives me bad feelings every time I see him.

Even through my attempts at sounding cold towards him, he still half smiled and said, "But you're too pretty to just be here alone."

"No, I'm good. My friends are right there." I stared at David to see who he was talking to.

He shook his head in defeat and walked away to flirt with another group of girls who were walking by.

I was thinking about what David had said earlier, "…The way your last boyfriend broke up with you, I don't know if you'll fall away from guys, especially me; or want someone, anyone."

I started to then think about my only Ex, Derrek. He dumped me by getting someone to say to me via Facebook. He's an ass. We dated from after Band Camp last year, which was August 12th, to five days before my birthday, May 16th; my birthday was May 21st. We were best friends for a full year before that, so that was almost two wasted years of my life. And now it's mid-June.

We never slept together, that would be awkward. And I'm not like that, sure I've loved him for over a year, but I'm only fifteen. Jeeze.

Derrek is…Was? A sophomore, so after the summer he will be a junior. He's a drummer, and he played Bass last band season, cymbals the year before that. Two months ago he talked about trying out for Tenor, or Quint/Quad.

I hate his guts. Not for dumping me so close to my birthday, but because I wasted tears in front of him telling him I didn't want to lose him for good and wanted to stay friends, and he finds a new girl to be best friends with. Yeah, he's a bastard.

I guess I am falling away from every guy, from fear of being hurt again. I stared more closely at David and the person he was with and saw another person there with the two of them, a girl. Then I noticed who the first person was, Derrek. And the girl was his new best friend, a Junior, soon to be Senior whose name is Dariene.

'I'm not jealous.' I repeat over and over to myself. 'But where are Ashley and Karah when I need them?'

I took out my Zune HD to help me with this problem. Music is my answer to just about everything. Music is my life. But it didn't help me because it played my old summer song, Count on me by Default. It's how I felt about Derrek. The summer of entering eighth grade, we would hang out every day and I'd always have that song playing. And last summer, Breaking Benjamin was our band. We'd listen to them, and their music was exactly about how we felt.

I changed the song, hoping it wasn't Breaking Benjamin. It was 1, 2, 3, 4 by the Plain White T's. Derrek put those lyrics on my wall over the summer last year and put hearts with it.

I changed it again. Love Remains the Same by Gavin Rosdale was the new song. At least I have no emotional tie to it. But it's still how I feel…

It'll have to do; I'm too tired to change it again.

However, now my headphones are being taken from me. It was David; he turned it off and sat down with me. "Hello, Stranger." He smiled, he always smiles. What's worse is that his smiles are irresistible.

I smiled back, even though I didn't feel like smiling.

I don't want him to stop talking to Derrek completely, but it bothers me. And now I have nothing to say to him. I'm not upset, but I'm not really happy…

"Hey," was all my voice could get out.

"Stop sulking, you're here to have fun." He started pulling my arms up.

"I don't 'have fun'" I stated.

"Derrek shouldn't ruin your life, he doesn't try it." David said, reading my mind again.

"But he does every time I see him." I pouted. "I shouldn't complain. I hate complaining…." I shook my head and took his hand. We walked around like that for the rest of the day, and it felt... strangely nice, and comforting.


End file.
